Tigerheart's Shadow/Chapter 19
Chapter description :Tigerheart is seen patrolling with Cobweb, Mittens, Fierce, and Cinnamon. It has been two moons since Shadowkit, Pouncekit, and Lightkit were born, and all they had done was scavenge. Tigerheart doesn't like living with the guardian cats as much as he used to, anymore. Tigerheart had awoken to a cold frost this morning, that had patterned the gathering-place walls with ice. :Fierce had suggested that they patrol by their favorite scrapcans. Tigerheart had volunteerd to come, because he knows that he owes the guardian cats his loyalty. He hopes he would find some real prey to take back to his kits. He hates how they have only tasted Twoleg scraps. He reflects on how hard it was to hunt for real prey in the city. Tigerheart also reflects on what life was like now with the guardian cats. :He had also learned new words such as alley, street, and scrapcan. Tigerheart has grown accustomed to hunting in the city. He then realizes this was the only world his kits knew. They have never known the forest, or real prey. He then wonders when his mate, Dovewing will agree to go back home to the lake. Tigerheart hopes that his kits will be able to adjust, and become warriors, when they do go back. :Tigerheart then remembers his conversation with Pouncekit. He had told Pouncekit he was going on a hunting patrol. Pouncekit had been confused, thinking he meant scavenging. Dovewing had then said that it was like a hunting patrol, and that Tigerheart used to be one of the best hunters in ShadowClan. Pouncekit had asked, why warriors didn't scavenge like the guardian cats. :Dovewing had replied that there weren't many scraps by the lake, and that hunting was much more fun than scavenging. Tigerheart looks up at the sky. He has been scavenging all morning, but there was no fresh kill. Cobweb, Mittens, and Tigerheart all look in a scrapcan, to try and find something to eat, and they found meat scraps. Mittens states that Dotty will like it. Tigerheart remembers how warriors left bones for crows, but here bones were a treat. :They then begin to take the meat scraps to Cinnamon, who is guarding their first haul. A moon ago, Tigerheart had suggested that the patrols stash the scraps they gathered before taking them home, which freed up more paws for scavenging. But many times the stashes had been raided, and it had been Cinnamon's idea to post a guard. When Tigerheart, Cobweb, Fierce, and Mittens get there, four strays are surrounding Cinnamon. :Cinnamon is slashing at the strays, as they try and steal the scraps. Tigerheart jumps in front of Cinnamon, telling the strays to find their own scraps. One of the strays says that Cinnamon wanted to share. Tigerheart tells them, that they can't take their catch. No other cat speaks up besides Tigerheart against the strays. :The gray cat claims that they aren't stealing, because no one owns it until they've ate it. The she-cat also adds that Tigerheart obviously isn't city-born or else he'd know that it's every cat for themself. Tigerheart says that he was born in a place where they fed each other before themselves. The gray cat then says that he'd let them go hungry, but not his friends. Angry, Tigerheart snarls that she's not his Clanmate. They continue to bicker, until the strays finally give up, and decide to go look somewhere else. :The gray cat, hisses at him to not get to comfortable, because he doesn't belong in the city, before leaving. The other guardian cats on patrol thank Tigerheart for saving them a fight. But Tigerheart feels that this confrontation might only be the beginning. When they get back, Spire states that they seem like good scraps, while he watches Blaze scramble for scraps, with the other guardian cats. :Tigerheart has avoided the skinny black tom as much as possible, after he had told Tigerheart that Shadowkit would see into the shadows. He hasn't told Dovewing about Spire's prediction. She had named Shadowkit after ShadowClan. Spire asks Tigerheart how his kits are, and Tigerheart explains how he thought of trying to catch some real food for them. Spire states that food is food. Tigerheart protests, saying that scraps aren't warrior food. :Spire says that his kits will be warriors. Tigerheart gives him a puzzled look, just as Blaze comes over, with some greasy scraps hanging from his mouth. Determined, Tigerheart decides to try and catch some fresh-kill for his kits, before they wake up. Tigerheart leaves the clearing, to go try and catch something. Tigerheart spots a thrush high up in a tree. :It flutters down, landing on a stone slab. Tigerheart manages to catch it. He brings it back to Dovewing, telling her to wake up. Dovewing wakes up, happy when she sees the thrush. She wakes the kits up. Pouncekit states that the thrush isn't food when she spots it. Tigerheart says that it's prey, and that they're going to eat it. Lightkit says that it smells sweet. Shadowkit asks if there were any scraps. Pouncekit says that she smells meat, scanning the den. :Tigerheart says that the thrush is meat, but Pouncekit says that it's only feathers. Dovewing then tears the thrush up into strips for the kits. Tigerheart says that his mother, Tawnypelt had never done that for him. Dovewing says that they're only two moons old. She then urges her kits to try it. The three siblings then, begin to eat the thrush. He then worries if they will never learn to love fresh-kill. :Dovewing sees this and assures him that all kits are fussy about their food. She says that her sister, Ivypool refused to eat rabbit until she was four moons old, and that she herself, had hated shrews. Dovewing warns them to chew before swallowing or they'll get a bellyache. Spire's words ring in Tigerheart's head that his kits will be warriors. Characters Major *Dovewing }} Minor *Mittens *Fierce *Pouncekit *Cinnamon *Fog (Unnamed) *Three unnamed strays *Spire *Blaze *Lightkit *Shadowkit }} Mentioned *Rowanstar *Tawnypelt *Ivypool }} Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Tigerheart's Shadow Category:Super Edition arc